Around 10:30 AM – Test Tornado Warnings for Iowa counties issued. The test warning will alert on NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio. Sirens will go off for drills at schools.

11:00 AM – Test Tornado Watch expires.

This day of Severe Weather Awareness Week comes at a time when Seymour is still trying to put parts of the town back together and kids were able to return to school after an EF2 tornado hit the area earlier in March.

“It hit so quick you didn’t even realize it had been here,” Seymour resident Theresa Rogers said.

After a tragedy like this, Rogers said it probably urges more people to take tornado warnings more seriously.

“If I have a warning, I get ready to go to the basement just in case,” Rogers said.

Meteorologist Megan Salois said it is important to remember the difference between a watch and a warning.

"A watch is a longer period of time, it’s about 4-8 hours in length and that’s the time frame that you could potentially see storms that could form tornadoes," Salois said, "If there’s a warning it’s for a smaller area, for just part of a county. And if you are in part of a county that has a warning, you should obviously take the steps that you need to take cover because potentially there could be a tornado."

Salois said that it is also important to talk about a plan with family to make sure you are all on the same page and know where to go in case you get separated.

“So it is severe weather awareness week and it’s just important to know that over the next couple of months especially as we head into May and June, those are our two busiest months for tornadoes here in central Iowa. So this is a good time for you to get your plan together, know what you’d do if severe weather were coming toward your home and how you’d stay safe through it,” Salois said.

Salois said some other good things to take with you before you head to the basement or an interior room for a tornado warning are a bike helmet, some shoes and a pillow case for various forms of protection.